[ LETTER ]

Ross, Tea Party Roadblocks

Published: Saturday, October 5, 2013 at 12:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, October 4, 2013 at 9:00 p.m.

Anyone who has studied the history of our country's founding realizes that a key component and major reason for the unparalleled success of our constitutional democracy were the major constitutional compromises by the historic players. They include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and Ben Franklin.

Those statesmen were keenly aware, based on their experience and knowledge of European monarchies, that a representative democracy requires governing compromise by the political parties.

Tea party radical Dennis Ross [R-Lakeland] and the rest of his kind have let their constituents and the American people know they are either ignorant of our great Founding Fathers' legacy, or they have deliberately chosen to treat governing exactly like the theocracies and dictatorships prevalent mostly in the Middle East and Africa.

So, the next time you see civilian demonstrations against their uncompromising dictators and religious leaders in Syria, Iran, Mali, etc., realize that the radical tea party, of which Dennis Ross so proudly belongs, is acting identically to the religious dictatorships in those countries.

<p>Anyone who has studied the history of our country's founding realizes that a key component and major reason for the unparalleled success of our constitutional democracy were the major constitutional compromises by the historic players. They include George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton and Ben Franklin.</p><p>Those statesmen were keenly aware, based on their experience and knowledge of European monarchies, that a representative democracy requires governing compromise by the political parties.</p><p>Tea party radical Dennis Ross [R-Lakeland] and the rest of his kind have let their constituents and the American people know they are either ignorant of our great Founding Fathers' legacy, or they have deliberately chosen to treat governing exactly like the theocracies and dictatorships prevalent mostly in the Middle East and Africa.</p><p>So, the next time you see civilian demonstrations against their uncompromising dictators and religious leaders in Syria, Iran, Mali, etc., realize that the radical tea party, of which Dennis Ross so proudly belongs, is acting identically to the religious dictatorships in those countries.</p><p>This great country and Polk County deserve much better.</p><p>RICHARD THORNTON</p><p>Lakeland</p>